We sat down this week with San Diego County Sheriff Kelly Martinez for an in-depth interview on the VOSD Podcast. You can listen to the full episode here, but if you want a quick rundown, here’s what you need to know.
Grab some cafecito and let’s get into it.
What the Sheriff Had to Say
There was a lot of attention on San Diego late last year after the county Board of Supervisors passed a policy that put further restrictions on how the county, including the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, could work with immigration agencies.
The sheriff refused to follow the policy, which sparked national news coverage and pushback from advocates. Still, Sheriff Martinez held her ground.
“Current state law strikes the right balance between limiting local law enforcement’s cooperation with immigration authorities, ensuring public safety, and building community trust,” Martinez said in a December statement.
We asked her about that decision on the podcast and had her explain how the department currently cooperates with immigration officials.
So, how do they work together? U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, can request an interview with an individual in custody. The sheriff’s department notifies that person, and if they consent to it, the interview takes place in jail and can be done in the presence of an attorney. If the individual doesn’t consent, the interview does not take place, she said.
ICE can request the release date for the individual, but the sheriff’s department only shares that information if the person has been convicted of crimes identified in state law known as “qualifying convictions.” These include murder, rape, robbery, drug trafficking, domestic violence and a handful of other offenses.
Martinez said if the individual in custody doesn’t have a qualifying conviction, her department don’t share the release date.
“In 2023, ICE notified us of 183 individuals that they had an interest of knowing the release dates, but they only actually picked up 25 of those folks,” she said on the podcast. “They are not picking up everyone that they tell us they have an interest in.”
Why did she oppose the board policy? Her opposition to the board’s policy was less about sending the supervisors a message and more about sending the community one, Martinez said.
“The community members in these migrant communities that I serve have asked me to continue with the practice we have,” she said. “I truly believe that the communities that these individuals would be returning to do not want them to return.”
What about immigration enforcement? The Trump administration has big plans for mass deportation, but many of those plans would require support from local law enforcement. Martinez told us she’s not interested in allowing her deputies to become immigration officers.
More on the show: Martinez also spoke about deaths and county jails and Proposition 36. Listen to the full conversation here.
Mega Shelter Is Dead
Our Lisa Halverstadt reported on Friday that the mayor’s proposal to open a 1,000-bed homeless shelter in Middletown is now officially dead.
We kinda guessed this was the case when Mayor Todd Gloria left Hope @ Vine out of his State of the City speech last month. But now, we know for sure.
What does this mean? Halverstadt reports that city officials will present other shelter site options to the City Council on Monday.
The Race to Replace Nora Vargas
South County reporter Jim Hinch has been spending time with the candidates running for the open seat on the county Board of Supervisors. The seat has been empty since former Supervisor Nora Vargas quit. Now, the race is on.
The latest Q-and-A in our series is with Chula Vista Mayor John McCann. You can read it here. McCann spoke to Hinch about his priorities and how he plans to win voters over.
“Whether you’re Democrat, Republican or independent, I’ve had a proven record of [prioritizing] public safety, decreasing homelessness by getting the homeless off the streets and decreasing the cost of living for residents,” McCann told Hinch. “I want to support every citizen.”
You can read the other Q&As here.
More Chisme to Start Your Week
- Twenty years of Voice of San Diego! That’s right, time flies when you’re having fun. We’re celebrating our 20th anniversary. Tomorrow we’re publishing the first of many stories looking back at how our journalism changed San Diego.
- Sheriff Kelly Martinez also told us on the podcast that Proposition 36 has already led to hundreds of arrests in San Diego County. Read more here.
- Our Tigist Layne has been following a novela-type drama in Poway. This week, she got her hands on emails that detail how one councilmember has threatened city staff and other elected officials. Read the full story here.
- The city of San Diego is dealing with a big budget deficit and tensions are rising among the city’s leaders about what needs to get done. Read more here.
- Sacramento seems to be focused on how to fight back against the Trump administration’s policies, while at the same time trying to secure wildfire recovery dollars for Los Angeles. Our Sacramento reporter writes that it seems to be a slow week for bills as legislators focus on the White House. Read the newsletter here.